Description
These Patriotic Crinkle Cookies are a festive treat perfect for celebrating national holidays. Featuring a rich cocoa base, the dough is split and colored with vibrant red and blue food coloring to create a visually striking crinkled finish. Soft, chewy, and dusted with powdered sugar, these cookies bring both flavor and fun to your dessert table.
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup cocoa powder
- 2 tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
Wet Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter (room temperature)
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup powdered sugar (plus extra for rolling)
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Additional
- Red gel food coloring
- Blue gel food coloring
Instructions
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Baking Sheets: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line baking sheets with parchment paper to prevent sticking and ensure even baking.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt until fully combined and evenly distributed.
- Cream Butter and Sugars: In a separate large bowl, use a mixer to cream the room temperature unsalted butter with granulated sugar and powdered sugar. Beat until the mixture is light, fluffy, and pale in color.
- Add Egg and Vanilla: Beat in the large egg and vanilla extract until the batter is smooth and well incorporated, creating the cookie dough base.
- Divide and Color Dough: Split the cookie dough evenly into two bowls. Add red gel food coloring to one portion and blue gel food coloring to the other, mixing thoroughly until colors are vibrant and uniform.
- Form and Coat Dough Balls: Shape small balls from each colored dough. Roll each ball generously in powdered sugar to create the characteristic crinkle effect during baking. Place the coated dough balls evenly on the prepared baking sheets, leaving enough space for spreading.
- Bake Cookies: Bake in the preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the cookies are slightly cracked on top and set. Remove from oven and allow to cool on baking sheets before transferring to a wire rack.
Notes
- Ensure butter is at room temperature for easy creaming and a smooth dough texture.
- Gel food coloring produces more vibrant hues without thinning the dough.
- Rolling dough balls in powdered sugar is essential to achieving the signature crinkle appearance.
- Do not overbake; cookies should be soft and chewy inside.
- Allow cookies to cool completely before storing to maintain texture.
